There’s a point to this, I promise LOL. Even though most likely that point won’t actually be made available until another post but bear with me here.

Back in 2014, a news website did a small census about Gyaru’s popularity — the year of course being super important due to Gyaru’s culture decline/annihilation and other styles’ rise.

A total of 200 readers were interviewed for this, all female and single (why that was an important factor is…something).

Do you think Gals are popular?

23.5% YES

76.5% NO

Below are all of the different categories and answers given when deciding whether Gals are popular or unpopular.

EXPLORING WHY: WHAT KIND OF IMAGE DO YOU HAVE OF GALS?

“I think Gals are popular”

Gyaru’s strengths

• “They’re cute and bright” (23-year-old female)
• “I think they’re popular because they seems to have a good vibe” (31-year-old female)
• “They can be honest with themselves” (41-year-old female)
• “They make it easy to be friends with” (27-year-old female)
• “They have a friendly/easygoing image”( 34-year-old female)
• “They have a friendly image of everyone/give others the benefit of the doubt” (25-year-old female)

Evaluating Gyaru’s ability to communicate

• “I think they’re popular because they have an image of being cute and speaking their minds.”
• “In some cases, they have an image of speaking in a formal way, so I think it’s something they can handle.” (26-year-old female)
• “They’re good talkers” (31-year-old female)
• “They have good communication skills. I think it’s a valuable quality.” (28-year-old female)

A Gal’s Looks

• “I think they are very cute people, even with heavy makeup.” (25-year-old female)
• “I think that if a Gal has charm, she will be popular… even if she looks flashy, I think a good girl is a good girl, so my image of Gyaru is not just that they’re fashionable and flashy.” (31 year old female)
• “After all, the first impression is the most important, so I think Gals who are desperate to improve their appearance are more likely to be chosen…however, whether or not the relationship will last is another matter.” (27-year-old female)

From a Man’s Perspective

• “My boyfriend claims to like Gals.”
• “I think they’re popular… because Gals are easy-going and have a light image with guys.” (26-year-old female)
• “They don’t stress about talking to guys, so the conversation will be lively.” 22-year-old female)

“I think Gals are unpopular”

A bad image

• “I have an image of gals being flirtatious, so they’re not popular” (25-year-old female)
• “They look flashy and superficial” (32-year-old female)
• “I don’t have a very good image of Gals, their language is rough” (31-year-old female / other)
• “They seem noisy” (32-year-old female)
• “Gals are rude!!!” (23-year-old female)
• “They have a sloppy and selfish image” (25-year-old female)
• “They’re filthy” (22-year-old female)

Point being…

• “Gyaru have the image of being playful, so it doesn’t seem like a good relationship in the long run.” (31-year-old female)
• “They could never become a favorite” (30-year-old female)
• “I think they’d end up as a plaything for others, never to be taken seriously.” (26-year-old female)
• “They’re useful for a quick one-night stand, so in that sense it may be said that Gals are popular, but I don’t think it’s true that they’re popular even as that.” (29-year-old female)

Neat Girls versus Gals

• “I think that if I’m going to be flirtatious like other Gals, I would be afraid men who aren’t sincere will come to me” (22-year-old female)
• “Herbivore boys seem to be afraid of gals”(30-year-old female)
• “It’s better to be neat girl than a Gal because I feel like it would appeal to men better.” (22-year-old female)
• “Because I think it’s better to be more introverted.” (31-year-old female)

An Outdated Subculture

• “I think that Gyaru as a style and culture is already old” (27-year-old female)
• “Because it’s not popular anymore” (28-year-old female)
• “Modern Gals are a joke. Gals should graduate when they reach the age of 20.” (30-year-old woman)
• “I think maybe my view was formed from having been a student, but I think of Gals as adults and unintelligent. They make me feel like I’m going to die every time I interact with one.” (28-year-old femalel)

Let’s consider this a prelude to the actual point. If we’re looking at both the negative and positive outlooks, there’s a lot of concern on how Gals are perceived for other people in society. We know that Japan has been notorious for being very conservative despite the fashions and subcultures that have come out of it, but ultimately it seems that Japan’s society standards into what’s appealing are what win the argument.

Going back into what’s considered the Gyarpocalypse, I’ve outlined that there are a few different factors, some I’ve still yet to really go into, but one of the most important is the appeal that Gyaru makes towards others. Unfortunately, this mindset was also a contributing factor into Gyaru’s decline — more of this in another post!